Quickly adjustable vise having safety stop



Aug. 5, 1952 D. FIRTH 2,605,660

' QUICKLY ADJUSTABLE VISE HAVING SAFETY STQP Filed June 25, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 I INVENTOR.

3 7M QM Aug. 5, 1952 D. FIRTH QUICKLY ADJUSTABLE VISE HAVING SAFETY STOP Filed June 25, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 w? Wig Patented Aug. 5, 1 952 QUICKLY-ADJUSTABLE VISE/HAVING SAFETY STOP,

' David- Firth, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Dodge Manufacturing Corporation, fMishaWakm. IncL,

aIcorporation of'ln'diana Application June 23, 1950, Serial No. 169,836;

' cla s Thisinventionlriatesfta. panda- 115 sf the quickly adjustable type;

' Ina vise: of. the type referred to, theemovable jaw-,membercanbe quickly slid to..a:.psition of rough; adjustment; relative to the stationary member, s and .can then; be. screw-forced inwardly or.:toWard thecstationary jaw member to. effect clamping of an. interposed. workpiece. The mechanism of the vise includesa.clampingscrew and means wherebyrotation ofthe screws-in one direction. will. establish ialcondition .for screwforcing the movable member. inwardly or; .:rear.-.

wardly :bycontinued rotation of the screw ini said.- one direction. Bya reverse rotationof the scr'e'w,.-

anrelease condition is estab1ished, freeing. the movable member for unimpeded sliding movement. U Thus the operator, after quickly. adjusting,

the relationshipofthevise jaws to accommodate an-- -interposed work piece, or after pushing the movable jaw againstawork pieceheldagainst the=stationary jaw, can effect clamping by rotating the screw-in the proper direction, and thereafter he canrelea'seth'e vise from clamping action by a reverse turnof the screw, whereupon he can draw. the movablejawsmember forward and again push it back to another position of rough adjustment oragainst a work piece held against the stationary jam. 7

An -example of a vise of the type aforesaid is shown in patent to Zitner, No. 2,464,630 dated March 15, 1949.

The vise shown in said Zitner patent, and other prior visesof thelquickly adjustable type, can be fully closed by shoving the movable jaw memberinwardlyor rearwardly to a position jam against thestationaryjaw Hence in th use ofsuchprior vises, there is opportunity for getting fingers mashed-by suddenly pushing th movable member inwardly while inadvertently extending ones-fingers into the gap between the jaws. Such anaccident might happen, for example, by pushing. the movable member home with the hand so placed thereagainst that thelfingers overlie the ,movabl'e-jawand extend into'the gap between the jaws;

Toobviate or minimizeopportunity for such mishaps, thepresentinvention provides a vise of the-quickly,adjustable. typewith means to limit quick ,,rearward movement ofthemovable jaw member, while allowing subsequent rearward The.

movement thereof by screw-operation. rearward movement imparted to the movabl jaw member by ,simply. pushing, it ,inwardly, as distinguished; from; the rearward movement. im-

parted thereto by operation of g the clamping:

screw, may be referredto as its free sliding movement-rearwardly. Atthelimit of such free slide ing.;,movement. of -the,,-mo.vable .member rearwardly,,a substantial. gap will exist. between the; vi ;jaws,;.which gen may. belwiderenougnato ace.

ommodate a p rs ns f n ers, thus: p venting mashing or injury of the fingers if extendeddnto the; space betweengthe, jaws while thermgvablel member is pushed inwardlyby hand as fanas it:

can .be so pushed.

A, further featureofjthe inventionis aspecificg improvement upon the vise mechanism..of; said Zitner patent with respect to the nutand. pawl thereof and manner-of supportingthevclamping.

In the accompanying. drawings, there .is shown;

for illustration an embodimentof the invention. in aviseof generally .similar character and 0011-.

struction to that disclosedin-said Zitner Patent Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional .view ofsthe.

illustrative vise, showingthe mechanism thereof in condition, for free. sliding of themovablejaw. member, said member-being shown at the limit.

of its free sliding movement rearwardly,

Fig. Z'is a fragmentarysectional. view. showing the vise mechanism. in'condition for screweforc ing the movableljaw member inwardlylor rearwardlyzto effect clamping action.

Fig. 3 is a. section on the line-B-L-B 'ofFig. 1,

looking forward as indicated bythe arrowst Fig. 4 is asection 0n the. line.4.4 of Fig; 2, looking rearwardly as indicated by th arrows Referring to the drawings, the m0vab1e jawmember I is formed witha rearwardlyextending shank.2 slidably fitted in a-guide passage there-- for in the stationary jam member 3, whereby-said' tudinal groove in said base is a ratchet bar 5 for engagement byadetent or pawl hereinafter referred to.

. Swiveledto the movable. member I v and extending .into its. chambered shank 211819,; screw;-.

threadedshaft 6, shown journalled in'the front end wall I of said member and held against longitudinal displacement relative thereto by the enlarged shaft-head 8 in abutting relation to the outer face of I and acollar 9 fixed on said shaft in abutting relation'to the inner sideof I; Said screw-vthreadedshaft- 6 is: hereinafter referred to as the clamping 'screwp The threaded portion-thereof is engagedby a correspondingly interiorly threaded non-rotatable, nut I 0..slidabl-y. fitted in the shankl; Said'clamping screw together-with'the nut; I 0 ismovable. with the mem-.

bercI and'its'shank 2 as a unit. However, thenut I0. can be. shifted axially relative. to :Z'by

rota-ting the; clamping.- SCIGWJ'bY: its operating.

handle; II '1:

Associated with the nut I is a detent cooperable with the ratchet bar tohold the nut against forward shifting relative to the shank 2. Said detent is shown as a massive pawl I2 having a tooth I3 for engaging the ratchet bar. The teeth of said ratchet bar are arranged as shown to present abrupt rear faces for engage-- ment by the pawl tooth I3. The pawl I2 is pivotally mounted in the shank 2 on a transverse pin I4 carried by said shank. To allow movement of the shank relative to the pawl, the pin I4, having its ends fixed in the opposite side walls of said shank, extends through a longitudinal slot I5 in the pawl. In virtue of said slot, the pawl is pivotally and longitudinally shiftably mounted relative to the shank 2.

The upper part of the pawl I2 is U-shaped in longitudinal section, as shown in'Figs. 1' and2, to provide a recess I6 ln which the nut I6 is arranged, the ends of the nut being adjacent with which the nut coacts to control the pivotal movement of the pawl.

As appears from Figs. 1 and 2, the nut If] is somewhat shorter than the distance between the front and -rear pawl arms I! and I8, and the nut and pawl are so shaped thatv the pawl can be rocked between the positions shown in said figures, or into and out of engagement with the ratchet bar 5. Such rocking is effected by slightly shifting the nut Iii in opposite directions, this being accomplished by rotating the screw 6 in opposite directions. I

When the pawl I2 is disengaged from the ratchet bar 5, the movable jaw member .I is freely slidable in either direction, wherefore it can be quickly pulled forward and then pushed back to a position against a work piece held against the stationary jaw. Then, by rotating the screw 6 in a right hand direction, the nut I0 can'be moved forward against the pawl arms I'I, therebyrocking the pawl into engagement with the ratchet bar. This anchors the nut against further forward movement relative to the shank 2. Hence by continued rotation of the screw in said direction, the movable jaw member I can be screw-forced inwardly to effect clamping of the work piece, such movement being permitted by the slot I5 for the pawl pivot pin It. By a reverse rotation of the screw, the nut can be moved rearwardly against'the pawl arms I8, thereby rocking the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet bar. This establishes a release condition and frees the movable for unimpeded sliding.

The illustrative structure as thusfar described is substantially similar to that disclosed in 'the Zitner patent aforesaid, though somewhat simpler in design and embodying a specific improvement in that the screw '6 of the illustrative structure is supported within the shank 2 by the nut In which in turn is supported by the pawl l2 from the pivot pin M,. the pawl and nut being so shaped that the pawl in all positions thereof supports the nut. 'In the position shown in Fig. 1, and in moving therefromyto the position shown in Fig. 2, the pawl supports the nut by jaw member engagement of the pawl arms I! with the verti resting of the front end of the nut on the fiat bottom of the pawl recess I6 in which the nut is accommodated. In the position shown in Fig. 2,

the nut rests upon the then horizontal flat bottom of the recess.

For 7 limiting Qfree sliding movement of the movable jaw member rearwardly, a fixedstop .20 is arranged in the path of rearward travel of the pawl l2 or a shoulder 2| thereon. In the illustrative structure, said stop 20 is provided by the head of a screw which secures the ratchet bar 5 in place, and said shoulder 2| is formed by the foreward end wall of a longitudinal groove 22 in the under side of the pawl, into which groove'the stop 20 extends. Said groove is open at its rear end to allow travel of the pawl with member I andv nut If) to a forward position beyond said stop, .and to permit the stop to enter the groove when themovable unit is again pushed rearwardly.

When the pawl I2, is disengaged from the ratchet bar, the movable 'aw member I can be pushed inwardly or rearwardly by pressure of the hand. thereagainst until the shoulder ZI strikes the stop zit-whereupon such movement will bestopped, since the member I is connected by the screw to the nut which is now held by the pawl against rearward movement. However, the screw can now be rotated in the direction to shift the nut forwardly, thereby rocking the pawl from the position shown in Fig. l to that of Fig. 2, and by continuing rotation of the screw in said direction the movable member [can be moved inwardly to effect clamping of a:work piece between the jaws, such screw-forcing .of the member I inwardly being allowed by the slot l5 for the pawl pivot pin I4.

It will be observed that when the movable jaw member is pushed inwardly as far as it can be pushed by pressure of the hand thereagainst, a substantial gap exists between the vise jaws, which is intended to be wide enough to prevent mashing a persons fingers extended between the jaws as the movable member is quickly pushed inwardly.

If movement of the pawl I2 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2 should be resisted by engagement of the shoulder 2| with, the stop 2e, as shown in Fig. 1, then the operator, as he turns the screw in a direction to move the nut I8 forwardly, may exert a slight forward pull on the screw,.which will cause a slight forward shifting of the movable unit, thereby separating the shoulder 21 from the stop'2li sufficiently t enable the pawl to be easily moved on its pivot pin from the position of Fig. 1 to the Fig. 2 position;

It will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the. particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described, which is susceptible of modifications in form and details of construction without departing from the prin-' ciple of the invention. I

I claim:

l. A quickly adjustable vise comprising movable and stationary jaw members, a fixed ratchet bar, mechanism carried by and movable as a unit with the movable member comprising a clamping screw swiveled to said member, a non-rotatable axially shiftable nut engaging said screw, and a pivotally mounted pawl operatively connected to said nut and movable into and out of engagement with said ratchet bar by shifting the nut in opposite directions by rotating the screw in opposite directions, said pawl when engaging the ratchet bar holding the nut from forward movement and when disengaged freeing the movable member for free sliding movement, the pivot of said pawl being in fixed relation to one ofsaid pawl and movable member and shiftable longitudinally relative to the other, and a fixed stop on said stationary jaw member cooperable with said pawl for limiting rearward travel thereof,

thereby limiting free sliding rearward or inward.

movement of the movable member while allowing subsequent rearward movement thereof by operation of the screw.

2. A quickly adjustable vise, according to claim 1, having a screw securing said ratchet bar in place and having a longitudinal groove in the under side of said pawl, said groove being closed at its forward end to provide a shoulder and being open at its rear end, said stop being provided by the head of said screw arranged in the path of rearward travel of said shoulder.

3. A quickly adjustable vise, according to claim 1, having a longitudinal groove in said pawl, said groove being closed at its forward end to provide a shoulder, and having said stop projecting into said groove in the path of rearward travel of said shoulder. 1

4. A quickly adjustable vise comprising movable and stationary jaw members, a fixed ratchet bar, mechanismcarried by and movable as a unit with the movable member comprising a clamping screw swiveled to said member, a non-rotatable axially shiftable nut engaging said screw, and a pivotally mounted pawl operatively connected to said nut and movable into and out of engagement with said ratchet bar by shifting the nut in opposite directions by rotating the screw in opposite directions, said pawl when engaging the ratchet bar holding the nut from forward movement and when disengaged freeing the movable member for free sliding movement, the pivot of said pawl being in fixed relation to said movable member and said pawl being longitudinally shiftable relative to said movable member, and a fixed stop mounted on the stationary jaw member adjacent the rear end of said'ratchet bar and cooperable with said pawl for limiting rearward travel thereof, thereby limiting free sliding rearward or inward movement of the movable jaw member while allowing subsequent rearward movement thereof by operation of the screw.

5. A quick-action vise comprising a relatively movable jaw member having a rearwardly extending chambered shank, a relatively stationary jaw member having a guide-way for said shank and having a fixed longitudinally disposed ratchet bar, a longitudinally disposed clamping screw swiveled to said movable member and extending into said shank, a non-rotatable axially shiftable nut engaging said screw and slidable in said shank, a pawl pivotally and longitudinally shiftably mounted in said shank and operatively connected to said nut and movable thereby into and out of engagement with said ratchet bar by shifting the nut in opposite directions by rotating the screw in opposite directions, said pawl when engaging the ratchet bar holding the nut against forward movement and when disengaged free- 70 ing the movable member for free sliding movement, and a fixed stop on the stationary jaw member cooperable with said pawl to limit its 6 rearward travel, thereby limiting rearward travel of the nut and free sliding rearward movement of the movable jaw member while allowing further rearward movement of said member by operation of the screw.

6. A quick-action vise comprising a relatively movable jaw member having a rearwardly extending chambered shank, a relatively stationary jaw member having a guide-way for said shank and having a fixed longitudinally disposed ratchet bar, a longitudinally disposed clamping screw swiveled to said movable member and extending into said shank, a non-rotatable axially shiftable nut engaging said screw and slidable in said shank, a pawl pivotally and longitudinally shiftably mounted in said shank and operatively connected to said nut and movable thereby into and out of engagement with said ratchet bar by shifting the nut in opposite directions by rotating the screw in opposite directions, said pawl when engaging the ratchet bar holding the nut against forward movement and when disengaged from the ratchet bar freeing said movable member for free sliding movement, the screw and nut and pawl being movable as a unit with said movable member when so freed, the pawl and nut being so operatively connected as to allow only slight axial movement of the nut relative to the screw and slight rocking movement of the pawl relative to the nut, and a fixed stop on said stationary jaw member arranged for cooperation with said pawl to limit its rearward travel, thereby limiting free sliding rearward or inward movement of the movable jaw member while allowing further rearward movement thereof by operation of said screw. 7

'7. A quick-action vise comprising a relatively movable jaw member having a rearwardly extending chambered shank, a relatively stationary jaw member having a guide-way for said shank and having a fixed longitudinally disposed ratchet bar, a longitudinally disposed clamping screw swiveled to said movable member and extending into said shank, a pawl formed with a recess, means operatively mounting the pawl within said shank for engagement and disengagement with said ratchet bar including a longitudinal slot in said pawl and a pivot pin fixedly carried by said shank and extending through said:

slot, and an axially shiftable non-rotatable nut in threaded engagement with said screw and slidably engaging said shank and extending into said pawl recess, the nut, upon certain turning movements of the screw, being slightly shiftable within said pawl recess to engage the pawl on either side of its pivotal mounting to rock the pawl in either direction for engagement and disengagement with said ratchet bar, and a fixed stop on said stationary jaw member in the path of rearward travel of said pawl,-for the purpose described.

DAVID FIRTH;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,289,597 :Seat July 14, 1942 2,359,951 Warman Oct. 10, 1944 2,464,630 Zitner Mar.'15,1949 

